By Our Correspondent
A gang of suspected kidnappers operating in a Sienna bus on Thursday struck again at Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State, where they abducted a man at Port Harcourt Road.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. at No. 37 Port Harcourt Road, opposite Hanza Suleman’s provision store near the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
According to accounts, the victim was intercepted by the gang who blocked him with their vehicle.
Despite his frantic shouts for help, the assailants — armed with AK-47 rifles — alighted from the bus, which was already occupied by unsuspecting passengers.
“They came out, five of them, pretending to be security operatives.
They brought out handcuffs and tried to arrest him. He resisted, but they managed to cuff one of his hands before dragging him into their vehicle and speeding off towards the Upper Iweka axis,” an eyewitness recounted.
The Onitsha South Landlords Association Forum (OSLAF) condemned the abduction, accusing security agencies of negligence.
The group lamented that despite repeated warnings, the police in Onitsha had done little beyond mounting roadblocks, which they allege have become avenues for extorting tricycle operators rather than curbing crime.
“What we need is intelligence-driven policing, not endless roadblocks,” OSLAF said in a statement.
“In the past month alone, over five persons have been kidnapped in Onitsha. Huge ransoms were paid before they were released, and their vehicles remain missing. What kind of policing is this?”
The forum urged the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Dr. Ikioye Orutugu, to immediately overhaul the security architecture in Onitsha and its environs, warning that the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
They further called for a state of emergency on security in Onitsha, particularly in Fegge, where residents say fear has become the order of the day.
“Security has collapsed completely in this part of the commercial city. If another citizen is kidnapped, OSLAF will embark on aggressive protest,” the statement added.
